This invention relates to apparatus for use in moving a ceramic or glass kiln lid between open and closed positions.
Kilns of the kind used in the manufacture of ceramic or glass items conventionally have a body provided with a chamber in which the items may be fired. Access to the chamber is provided via an opening, and such opening is selectively opened and closed by a closure or lid which is pivoted on the body for movements between its open and closed positions.
It is conventional to provide a lid or closure lift structure which, for convenience, is fixed to some part of the kiln body. In those instances in which the kiln closure is pivotable between its open and closed positions the movement of the closure frequently imposes stresses on the closure or the kiln body, or both. Over time, these stresses can produce severe damage to the kiln body, the closure, the hinge structure, or all such components.
In providing apparatus for minimizing the effects of stresses imposed during the opening and closing of a kiln closure, it is possible that the closure and kiln body may not be capable of accommodating dimensional changes that occur during temperature variations resulting from the operation of the kiln. In those instances in which a closure must be forcibly maintained in closed condition, such result usually is ensured by the use of locking or latching mechanisms. These mechanisms, however, may adversely affect the ability of the closure and the kiln to accommodate dimensional changes due to variations in temperature, thereby imposing additional stress on the closure, the kiln body, or the closure hinge structure.
A principal object of the invention is to provide a kiln body, a closure, a kiln support, and lift apparatus for moving the closure between open and closed positions and which avoids the imposition of stresses of the kind resulting from the use of mechanisms in use heretofore.